UK light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi earned a win yet unimpressive beginning to his career under fresh promotional backing with a unanimous decision over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic medal winner's activity level seemingly secured him a split decision in a close ten-round contest at the Manchester venue.
But Parker found success, delivering effective single shots in a contest where the approaches failed to mesh, with excessive holding spoiling the action.
The scoring judges scored it 96-94 in favor to the winner, with the third a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my best display but what do champions do? They prevail," the victor stated in the arena as he was greeted with disapproval from the audience.
The Londoner got back to winning after his maiden career setback - an epic battle with Callum Smith in last winter - to secure a twentieth professional win.
Various analysts believed Parker, thirty-one, merited the win but the British boxer experienced the second setback of his 28-fight professional journey.
The Champion Earns Win in Slow Affair
Buatsi's progress has plateaued in recent times through contract problems and long spells of inactivity.
Once tipped as the next star of UK boxing, he now finds himself trying to realize his potential - perhaps in what appears to be a last chance - under recent support.
He began cautiously, with both competitors willing to take risks in a calculated early stages.
The challenger, whose sole prior loss came at super-middleweight against his former opponent in two years ago after breaking his hand mid-fight, was making just his second appearance at the higher weight class.
By the fight's midpoint, the underdog had stayed in contention, causing problems for Buatsi, who worked behind a solid defense to narrowly win the cleaner stanzas.
The crowd's patience diminished amid constant clinching, with Parker slipping to the canvas multiple occasions during clinches.
Parker closed well, but multiple periods were difficult to score. However, ex-champion Carl Frampton - commentating on Dazn - had it particularly wide for the challenger, giving Buatsi just only one stanza.
The victor progresses, but with the presence of heavy hitter Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Dmitry Bivol ruling the division, the journey to titles - on this evidence - still appears challenging.
Ricky Hatton Homage Inspires All-Manchester Battle
In the supporting bout, Lyndon Arthur overcame Rea by close verdict in a terrific Manchester vs Manchester contest to capture the European light-heavyweight belt.
The venue fell silent for a profoundly moving homage prior to the bout as a bell ceremony tolled in memory of local hero Hatton, who succumbed 46 years old in recently.
It was the premier televised boxing event in the location since Hatton's passing. As the final chime disappeared, the silence transitioned to a chant of "there's only one Ricky Hatton".
The action within the ring equaled the feeling. The eventual winner was floored by a left hook squarely on the jaw in the initial stage, rising shakily to his feet on the eight count.
But the red-colored equipment of the fighter soon pressed ahead again. On the opposite side, the opponent - in competitive blue - was marked up quickly, heavy swelling developing under his orbital area as the duo traded powerful shots.
The challenger, 27, delivered effective strikes but Arthur, thirty-four, matched the intensity with stinging uppercuts as the pace rarely dropped over the full distance.
Arthur narrowly won the result with scoring tallies of even score, 115-113 and clearer margin, but each competitor were relentless and full of heart, all the qualities their inspiration Hatton embodied.
